pipe

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 [C,U] a tube through which liquids and gases can flow: hot and cold water pipes * lead / plastic pipes * a leaking gas pipe * Copper pipe is sold in lengths. * a burst pipe * Insulation may reduce the danger of pipes bursting in winter. seealsoDRAINPIPE, EXHAUST, WINDPIPE 2 [C] a narrow tube with a bowl at one end, used for smoking tobacco: to smoke a pipe * He puffed on his pipe. * pipe tobacco 3 [C] a musical instrument in the shape of a tube, played by blowing seealsoPANPIPES 4 [C] any of the tubes from which sound is produced in an ORGAN 5 (pipes) [pl.] = BAGPIPES verb 1 [VN] to send water, gas, oil, etc. through a pipe from one place to another: to pipe oil across the desert * Water is piped from the reservoir to the city. 2 [VN] [usuallypassive] to send sounds or signals through a wire or cable from one place to another: The speech was piped over a public address system. * piped music 3 to play music on a pipe or the BAGPIPES, especially to welcome sb who has arrived: [VN] Passengers were piped aboard ship at the start of the cruise. * [V] a prize for piping and drumming 4 to speak or sing in a high voice or with a high sound: [V] Outside a robin piped. [also Vspeech] 5 [VN] to decorate food, especially a cake, with thin lines of ICING, etc. by squeezing it out of a special bag or tube: The cake had 'Happy Birthday' piped on it. 6 [VN] to decorate the edge of a cushion, a piece of clothing, etc. using thin strips of fabric, especially of a different colour: a red tunic piped in gold around the collar and cuffs PHRASALVERBS pipe down (informal, spoken) used especially in orders, to tell sb to stop talking or to be less noisy pipe up (with sth) (informal) to begin to speak: The person next to me piped up with a silly comment. * [+speech] 'I know the answer,' piped up a voice at the back of the room.